Kate Middleton and Prince William Are Reportedly Clashing Over George's Future
She's "heartbroken" by a looming decision.
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Kate Middleton and Prince William are reportedly at odds over their plans for Prince George’s future. While the Prince and Princess of Wales’s eldest son has been attending Lambrook School along with his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the couple has a tough decision to make when the young prince finishes his time at prep school. According to a royal expert, Kate and William are clashing over George’s future education, with both looking back at their respective childhoods as the ideal scenario for the future king.
When the Wales family moved to Adelaide College in 2022, the three kids began attending the nearby Berkshire preparatory school together. However, as 11-year-old George nears the end of his time there, Prince William is hoping that his eldest son follows in his footsteps by attending his alma mater, the boys-only Eton boarding school – much to Kate’s chagrin.
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“Kate’s preference is for George to be at a co-education school, so he can be with his siblings, which is what Kate experienced at Marlborough with her sister, Pippa, and brother, James,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told The Mirror. The Princess of Wales, who attended the Wiltshire school from 1996 to 2000, would like to see a similar trajectory for her son. However, William hopes to draw from royal tradition for George’s schooling.
“It was a very happy school life for her, but William has very fond memories of Eton, which has a long history with aristocrats and members of the royal family,” Nicholl shared.
It’s not the first time that sources have opened up about Kate and William’s ongoing disagreement about Eton, with a royal insider previously telling InTouch Weekly in 2023, “Kate thinks sending him to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernize the monarchy. Plus, she’ll miss George desperately.”
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While another source reportedly told the publication at the time that a “heartbroken” Kate had given in due to George’s desire to "be just like his father” and attend the prestigious boarding school, things could change amidst the princess’s cancer recovery.
"There's always the possibility of traditions being changed," Nicholl told the publication. "William and Harry didn't end up following in their father's footsteps by going to Gordonstoun [in Scotland] and it may be that George breaks the Eton mold and ends up somewhere else.”
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While George has reportedly already taken Eton College’s entrance exam, the expert says things are still up in the air. “Whatever happens, it'll be a decision made by William and Kate with George's best interests factored in,” she said.